Govt has many hands, can put anyone in jail: Mulayam

Samajwadi Party president Mulayam Singh Yadav on Wednesday renewed his attack on the Congress and the central government, which he said was misusing the CBI, and in the same breath praised the BJP’s ideological forefather Syama Prasad Mookerjee.

“It’s not easy to fight the government. It can use the CBI and put one in jail,” he told reporters. Earlier also Yadav, who is former UP chief minister (CM), had attacked the Congress on this.

“The Congress used to take support by threatening (others). I supported the UPA government in bad times but the Congress has put the CBI after me,” the SP chief had told reporters here on March 29.

Asked about BJP leader LK Advani’s praise for socialist leader Ram Manohar Lohia, Yadav’s mentor, the former UP CM said it was good if he (Advani) had done it.

“A lot of hue and cry was raised in the media when I appreciated Advani ... Those who had done or are doing good should be appreciated. Should one who is doing good be abused?” Yadav asked after a meeting with his party’s district presidents.

On Mookerjee, the founder of the Jan Sangh, he said he was not an ordinary leader and his contribution was immense.

The Congress, however, dismissed Yadav’s attack as a “political slogan”. Party spokesperson PC Chacko said opposition parties had frequently accused the government of misusing the CBI.